March 07, 2022
It’s International Women’s Day and while we love to celebrate women every day, today we get to take a special moment to acknowledge all the incredible women that surround us and are trailblazing and making waves.
Here at Ergobaby, we take diversity, equity, and inclusion seriously. As part of our Corporate Responsibility, we want to make sure to create an environment where everyone can thrive. And as a woman founded business, we are all about supporting women in their endeavors whether it’s at home, in the workplace, or both!
Our Women’s Leadership Club celebrates, uplifts, and inspires the work of women who make Ergobaby the wonderful place it is. Part of the Women’s Leadership Club goals is to bring in Women from outside organizations to encourage and equip our team and Erin Erenburg is one of those women.
As a mom of 3 who's sat on the leadership team in every company she's served, Totum Founder Erin Erenberg, knows what it's like to do it all, juggling in heels (+/- in sweats on Zoom).
We got to ask her a few questions about Totum’s work and her passions!
What have you noticed is the biggest hurdle for mothers in getting the support they need?
Mothers still buy into the notion that “doing it all" is the gold standard. Amy Westervelt said it well: "We expect women to work like they don't have children and raise children as if they don't work." It's startling that we expect mothers, of all people, to carry the weight of care and work without support. There's a theme that a good mother is a martyr — she’s selfless and chiefly concerned about the needs of others. Many of us feel that pressure from the norms we've absorbed. It’s easy, then, to wonder: What does it say about me if I "need" help and another mother doesn't have any or seemingly doesn't need any? In our heads, we make that mean that someone else is doing a better job than we are; that we're privileged, needy, lacking. When really, we were never meant to mother in isolation. It's our support structure that needs an overhaul, not us. So I say, get clear on the kind of help you need, speak up, and seek it out.
What does “being whole” look like for you?
For me, it's living a life that's aligned with what I value. My top 5 values are service, justice, relationship, autonomy, and discovery. If I can look at my days, weeks, and months and know that I have lived in alignment with those values, I feel whole. Practically, that often looks like seeing friends regularly, learning something new, working in a way that feels free from unnecessary constraint, actively using my background and talents to help people who need it, and speaking up about what's (un)fair. Presence is an overarching value for me, so when I'm present to the people I love and issues I care about, I go to bed at night feeling whole.
How is Totum working to address the gap in Paid Family Leave?
Early in 2021, Totum partnered with PL+US to advocate for paid family leave. We brought experts onto our platform to educate the community about where things stood, proposed legislature, and the status of progress. I personally got so fired up about the matter, especially when paid leave in the Build Back Better bill was cut from 12 weeks to 4, that I co-founded a new organization, Chamber of Mothers, to unite mothers in creating an America where the mother is supported, represented and respected. One of our main initiatives is working to bring the need for paid family and medical leave into mainstream awareness, so that mothers will speak up and leverage their collective voting and spending power to create the country we want to live in and pass on to the next generation.
What’s something you’re really passionate about in this current season?
I'm passionate about women daring to be seen. To speak up about their experiences, their dreams, and their goals. The pandemic made clear that we have a long way to go, and I will be working to help mothers band together to work for the change we envision. I believe it begins by believing in ourselves enough to boldly claim who we are and what we want, and to get the support we need to live whole, abundant lives.
—---------------------------------
Totum Women currently reaches over 100,000 women ages 25-44 every week through social media and email. Their program brings members together in compelling discussions on balancing work and parenting. “Totum is the friend who gets you what you need to get back on track” with research-backed resources, programs + conversations to help you feel whole.
Check out more of what Erin and Totum are doing at totumwomen.com.
Additional Resources:
We got to ask her a few questions about Totum’s work and her passions!
What have you noticed is the biggest hurdle for mothers in getting the support they need?
Mothers still buy into the notion that “doing it all" is the gold standard. Amy Westervelt said it well: "We expect women to work like they don't have children and raise children as if they don't work." It's startling that we expect mothers, of all people, to carry the weight of care and work without support. There's a theme that a good mother is a martyr — she’s selfless and chiefly concerned about the needs of others. Many of us feel that pressure from the norms we've absorbed. It’s easy, then, to wonder: What does it say about me if I "need" help and another mother doesn't have any or seemingly doesn't need any? In our heads, we make that mean that someone else is doing a better job than we are; that we're privileged, needy, lacking. When really, we were never meant to mother in isolation. It's our support structure that needs an overhaul, not us. So I say, get clear on the kind of help you need, speak up, and seek it out.
What does “being whole” look like for you?
For me, it's living a life that's aligned with what I value. My top 5 values are service, justice, relationship, autonomy, and discovery. If I can look at my days, weeks, and months and know that I have lived in alignment with those values, I feel whole. Practically, that often looks like seeing friends regularly, learning something new, working in a way that feels free from unnecessary constraint, actively using my background and talents to help people who need it, and speaking up about what's (un)fair. Presence is an overarching value for me, so when I'm present to the people I love and issues I care about, I go to bed at night feeling whole.
How is Totum working to address the gap in Paid Family Leave?
Early in 2021, Totum partnered with PL+US to advocate for paid family leave. We brought experts onto our platform to educate the community about where things stood, proposed legislature, and the status of progress. I personally got so fired up about the matter, especially when paid leave in the Build Back Better bill was cut from 12 weeks to 4, that I co-founded a new organization, Chamber of Mothers, to unite mothers in creating an America where the mother is supported, represented and respected. One of our main initiatives is working to bring the need for paid family and medical leave into mainstream awareness, so that mothers will speak up and leverage their collective voting and spending power to create the country we want to live in and pass on to the next generation.
What’s something you’re really passionate about in this current season?
I'm passionate about women daring to be seen. To speak up about their experiences, their dreams, and their goals. The pandemic made clear that we have a long way to go, and I will be working to help mothers band together to work for the change we envision. I believe it begins by believing in ourselves enough to boldly claim who we are and what we want, and to get the support we need to live whole, abundant lives.
—---------------------------------
Totum Women currently reaches over 100,000 women ages 25-44 every week through social media and email. Their program brings members together in compelling discussions on balancing work and parenting. “Totum is the friend who gets you what you need to get back on track” with research-backed resources, programs + conversations to help you feel whole.
Check out more of what Erin and Totum are doing at totumwomen.com.
Additional Resources: